Blueberry juice: Bioactive compounds, health impact, and concentration technologies—A review

Abstract

Blueberries are a popular fruit with an attractive flavor and color, as well as health benefits. These health benefits have been attributed to the important number of bioactive compounds in blueberries with activities such as antioxidant, antitumor, antimutagenic, and antidiabetic effects and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Despite these advantages, blueberries are only obtained fresh in certain seasons; therefore, the food and beverage industry transforms them into jelly, puree, or juice. However, the concentration process could help preserve the bioactive compounds of blueberry byproducts. Concentration technologies focus on the removal of excess water to increase the product stability and reduce storage and transportation costs by causing them to take up less space or as a pretreatment before dehydration. These technologies include evaporation, reverse osmosis, and freeze concentration, and each one has different effects on the efficiency, quality, and nutritional value of the final concentrates. However, freeze concentration and reverse osmosis produce a higher‐final quality concentrate than evaporation due to the use of low temperatures, which prevents the loss of thermolabile components such as bioactive compounds. Therefore, this review summarizes the impact of concentration technologies on the bioactive compounds and health benefits of blueberry juice.

Improving Blueberry Fruit Nutritional Quality through Physiological and Genetic Interventions: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

“…Often referred to as a superfruit, blueberries are rich in dietary fibre (2.4–3.5% of fruit weight), vitamins (C and K, and low levels of A, B and E) [ 7 , 25 , 26 ], minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc) [ 27 , 28 ] and bioactive compounds containing polyphenols (anthocyanins and flavonols) [ 29 ], phenolic acids [ 30 ] and carotenoids (lutein) [ 26 , 29 ]. Plant phenolics and polyphenols are secondary metabolites that act as defence compounds against environmental stresses such as high light, UV, unfavourable temperatures, water deficit, salinity, nutrient deficiencies, pathogen infection and herbivores [ 31 ].…”

“…These environmental stresses can lead to increased production of free radicals and other oxidative species that attack important macromolecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids, resulting in cell damage and homeostatic disruption. Many plant phenolic compounds have been found to scavenge free radicals and therefore act as antioxidants [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 29 , 30 , 32 ]. Acknowledged as natural antioxidants, plant phenolics have gained popularity for their pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiallergic, antiviral, antithrombotic, hepatoprotective and others [ 33 , 34 ].…”

“…Numerous research articles and reviews have been published on the health benefits of blueberries over the last decade. The most significant correlations that have emerged from research involving human and animal studies are between high blueberry intake and reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and visual deterioration, less weight gain and slower rates of cognitive decline (reviewed in [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 30 , 59 ] and references therein). A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effect of blueberry intervention on metabolic syndrome risk factors revealed that blueberry intervention decreased total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels as well as diastolic blood pressure [ 60 ].…”

“…Cognizance of the health benefits of such fruits has elevated consumer demand [ 3 ], resulting in an overall market growth for these fruits [ 4 ], valued at USD 152 billion in 2021 globally, with a further 41% increase expected by 2027 [ 5 ]. Blueberry is one of the most nutrient-dense berries, packed with fibre, vitamins and antioxidant components that belong to the wide group of flavonoids and phenolic acids with functional properties that decrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes and neurodegeneration [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Consumer demand for blueberry has soared globally, leading to increased production at an average annual rate of 6.1% [ 9 ].…”

The mechanism of whey protein and blueberry juice mixed system fermented with Lactobacillus inhibiting Escherichia coli during storage

“…Blueberry have been recognized as one of the most valuable fruits that contain a large quantity of nutritious components including organic acids, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients 5 . Furthermore, blueberries are an excellent source of bioactive compounds, including anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and flavonols, which endow this fruit with a series of beneficial properties, such as cancer protection and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities 6 .…”